Ezra's POV

I'm trapped in the darkness again. I hear the people I love screaming but I can't get to them. I can't breathe. I can't move. I can't escape. I'm here for a reason. I've hurt them again. They don't want me. They put me here. They want me dead-

"EZRA!"

I wake up screaming, soaked in my own sweat and shaking in fear. I'm gasping for breath, unable to inhale or exhale properly, until someone grabs me by the shoulders.

"It's ok! Ezra it's ok, I'm here! You're safe!"

I recognise the voice as Grian's after a moment, and am able to regain my breath once I know it's him. My heart still pounds rapidly in my chest, and the nightmare is still clear in my mind.

I notice that it's pitch black outside, meaning it's probably the middle of the night. Then I squint into the darkness, seeing 20 pairs of eyes staring at me. Well, 2 people only have one eye, and a robotic one in place of the other.

I can tell that Joe and Xisuma are by my side too, seemingly concerned. I feel the blood rise to my cheeks and try to hold back my tears.

"S-sorry to wake you... you can just go back to sleep." I mumble, voice shaky with fear.

"No." Someone says stubbornly, a woman with a British accent. "You're not ok love, so we're gonna make sure you're ok."

"Seriously? Why should we care about this guy?" A voice with a distinctly German accent grumbles, but the sharp yelp soon after, probably a result of an elbow to the ribs, makes it clear his opinion wasn't popular among the Hermits.

Someone snaps their fingers, Grian I assume, and the lights turn on. I'm relieved, the darkness of the room having made me very uncomfortable.

Now that everyone can see me, a shaking, sweaty mess without my binder on, I feel even more embarrassed. Nobody brings up the last one of those, seeming more concerned about the first two.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Grian asks me quietly. I shake my head, but you wouldn't be able to tell due to the shaking of the rest of my body.

"Do you wanna hug my cat? It might help." A Vexling with brown hair and green eyes asks quietly, shyly holding out a grey and white cat.

The cat comes over to me of her own accord, settling down in my lap. I gingerly touch her fur, and when she seems to relax that relaxes me too, and I keep on gently stroking her.

"That's it for me. Anyone Jellie trusts, I trust." Another man with dark brown hair and eyes decides. I think I've seen him before, though I'm not certain.

Everyone stays fairly quiet in the following minutes, until Xisuma has an idea.

"I think I know what would help." He offers. I nod my head, willing to listen.

"Would you want to see our parents tomorrow?"

It's such a simple question, but it makes me feel incredibly emotional. I haven't seen my moms since I was taken away from them nearly 15 years ago, and I didn't even know if they remembered me or not.

I nod, trying not to cry, but I eventually crack and break down into tears. Xisuma, Joe and Grian keep hugging me protectively, and a couple Hermits scoot over to offer a comforting pat on the back.

I eventually nod off to sleep in Grian's arms, unable to wait to see my parents again.

Xisuma's POV

I wake up to the sound of screaming again, and immediately jump up in fear.

"What's wrong?! Is everyone oka-"

I'm cut off by a pillow to the face from Grian, and sigh heavily.

"You lot scared me half to death!" I snap, but am left ignored as the pillow fight continues.

ZIT have teamed up against everyone else, so it's absolute chaos. Everyone seems to be taking part except poor TFC, who I'm pretty sure is hiding under a blanket, and BDubs, who's miraculously still asleep.

"Cleo gimme a hand!" Stress yells, narrowly dodging a cushion thrown by Scar. When there's no response, she looks around in confusion.

"Um... Where's Cleo?"

The game stops almost immediately, concern filling the air.

"She might be with False again." Joe discreetly whispers to me "Should we go check?"

I nod, before standing up.

"Don't worry, Cleo might've just gone for a walk or something, ok? Joe and I will go find her, you lot go back to your pillow fight or something."

"Don't encourage them!" Doc groans, before a pillow from Wels hits his head and the fighting starts all over again.

I don't really have the patience to put my armour on today, and just end up wearing a bee hoodie Keralis got me for my birthday, and jeans. I don't really get why I even bother with the armour on a day to day basis, it's really uncomfortable.

I haven't actually spoken to False for ages. Heck, I can barely think about her after what happened in Season 6, so I have no idea whatsoever as to why Cleo went to see her last night.

I think I'm a little lost in my thoughts, because when we reach the place where False is I don't even notice. Joe quietly nudges me to make me aware of this, making me jump quite badly.

"She's not here." Joe points out

"Who's not here? Because if you mean me, I can assure you that I haven't moved more than a metre in any direction since you locked me up here."

We turn to see False, standing as close to the door of the cell as she can. She looks pretty sleep deprived, sick almost, but that isn't at all a concern of mine right now.

"We aren't talking about you, we're looking for Cleo." I snap, not wanting to have to deal with her right now. I don't expect her to look so concerned at those words though.

"You can't find Cleo?"

"No." I respond, getting a little annoyed. "And we're kind of busy looking for her, so goodby-"

"I know where she is."

I pause, having been about to walk away.

"How could you know where Cleo is?" Joe asks

"Because I know her." False replies calmly

"We've known her just as long as you have." I point out

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you know everything about her, does it?"

"Neither do you." I growl, incredibly pissed by now.

"I didn't say that. I'm saying there's things I know about Cleo that you don't."

"Then where is she?"

"She's left the server and gone to the big graveyard on the Main World she visits whenever she's stressed." False responds with no hesitation.

This admittedly disappoints me. If I have to go out to the Main World, that means I can't be with Ezra to see our parents. I could ask Grian to take him, though my moms have never met Grian before, and I'm not sure how that would go down.

I eventually just decide to message Grian later and ask him to take Ezra to the End, maybe it would be good for him to meet my parents.

"Well... well thank you then." I mumble, once again about to go before False yet again interrupts me.

"She's not gonna talk to either of you."

"Then who will she talk to?" Joe asks

False raises an eyebrow, waiting for us to catch on. We do, eventually, which sends me over the edge.

"NO, NO, 100 TIMES NO!" I snap "There's no way we're falling for that and letting you out of there!"

"Save your breath Xisuma, we both know Cleo's only gonna talk to me. So if you want her back here all safe and ok, you're gonna have to put a bit of faith in me."

"Why would I have ANY faith in you after what you did?!"

"I never said you already trusted me. I'm asking you to trust me."

"No. I'm not letting you out, and that's finals."

False's POV

"So uh... what was that about not letting me out?" I ask innocently, walking behind Xisuma and in front of Joe. My hands are still cuffed, just in case I try and escape.

"Please don't bother him, False." Joe sighs. "He's already angry at you, and you're only making it worse."

I don't really understand what he means, but I don't question it. We eventually reach the gates of the graveyard, which seem to stretch upwards for miles and loom ominously over the three of us.

"I forgot how much I hated this place." Joe mumbles, suddenly seeming anxious

"Why?" Xisuma asks "It'd be better to have you here, you're Cleo's best friend."

"We'll only be quick Joe, nothing's gonna happen, I promise." I tell him, receiving a filthy glare from X.

"You're one to talk." The Admin tells me

"I'm trying to help you here, so shut up with the whole 'I don't trust you' business." I snap. "It's fine if you don't trust me, but do you really need to remind me and send me on a guilt trip every 5 minutes?!"

That makes him go quiet, and the three of us enter the graveyard to find Cleo.